campbell



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. CAMPBELL. MACHINE POR PUNCHING CHECKS.

vPmnted 001;. 22.1389.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

.Attorney N. PETERS. Phubulognbhur. Wshlllgion. D, C.

(No Model.) 4'sneets-sheet 2. Y. A. CAMPBELL.

MAGHINB FOR PUNCHING GHBCKS. No. 413,434. Patented Oct. Z2, 1889.

' Figa.

I a, J um f Il 'T Z l\ i I l 4 ya /g lNvENToR;

' WITNESSES: "mw

i .ttorney 4 Sheets-Sheet 3T (No Model.)

- A. CAMPBELL. MACHINE PoR PUNGHING CHECKS.

No. 413,434. Patented Oct. 22, 1889.

.1NVENT0R;

l WITNESSESI Attorney.

ri PETERS manu-mman wann-usm. no

(No Model.) 'a 4 sheets-#sheet 4.

A. CAMPBELL. MACHINE PoR PUN'GHING GHBcKs. 1 No.. 413,434. Pawnted 091;. 22, 1889.

E i glh N. Pimm mol-MW www n.c.

UNITED STATES,j

PATENT- OFEICE.

ANDREW CAMPBELL, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssieNoR 'ro WILLIAM D. ELGER, OE sAMEPLACE.

MACHINE FOR PuNCHlNG CHECKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 413,434, dated October 22, 1889.

Application filed November 2, 1888. Serial No. 239,736.` (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, ANDREW CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Punching Checks, dre., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class Of machines employed for punching numerals andother characters in bank-checks, notes, and like instruments, wherein a single lever is employed to select and act upon the machines require great accuracy in their con-V struction, in order that the punch or male die may always be presented so as to accurately register with the female die or matrix, otherwise the paper of the check will not be cut clean and smooth. In "order that the con- '.stantly-moving parts may not wear unduly,

and thus become loose, it is also requisite that they shall be ittedl'and mounted in the best and most accurate manner. To accomplish these results in an economical manner and to produce a light and simple machine is the main object oi" my invention.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a plan of a machine for punching checks and the like embodying my invention. In this View I have omitted the 'top plate or'cover of the machine in order to expose the internal mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the feed. mechanism of the machine, and Fig. 52L is an end view of same as seen from the direction indicated by arrow 52L in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a plan, and Fig. 6a a rear side view, of the intermediate slide-bar detached. Fig. Gashows thesleeve bearing of the bar in section. Figs. and S are detail views of partsof the machine, that will be described hereinafter.

My machine will be made wholly of metal by preference, althoughl do not limit myself in this respect. In the drawings only themachine proper is represented. This will usually be inclosed in a boxor cabinet adapted tobe closed to exclude dust and to protect the ma- A chine from injury. y l

a represents the baseV of the machine, on which is formed or to which is firmly secured an upright cylindrical post b, about which as a pivotal axis the principal movable parts of the machine turn or swing concentrically.f

c is a sleeve bored out to iit accurately on said post b and mounted on the same; and c is the die-platform, formed integrally, by preference, with said sleeve c. This platform will have a segmental or parti-circular form, its outer edge or periphery being curved concenl trically with the axis of the post b. On this platform are mounted and fixed the several female dies or matrices c which may be of Fixed to the sleeve c and carried thereby is the punch-carrier d. This carrierlissegmental or parti-circular like the die-platform c', and it is arranged directly over or above the i the carrier dis, by preference, cast separately from the sleeve c and provided with a boss d', which is bored to tit over said sleeve. When the punches shall have been accurately fitted to their respective dies, this boss d will be securely fastened to the sleeve c, and will become substantially integral therewith.

Over the curved face of the carrier d is se-` cured a plate CZ, which closes the grooves, in

the carrier and houses the punches therein.

IOO

Fixed in the machine-frame above the carrier d is a segmental punch-supporter jiwhich I call a shelf. semicircular in form when seen in plan. Its periphery or outer face is concentric With the axis of the post h, and the curved inner face of the carrier cl stands close to the outer face of said shelf. Each punch e has a supporting pin or stud e projecting from its inner face, and When the punches are elevated and out of action these pins rest on and play over the upper surface of said shelf, which thus upholds said punches. At the punching or cutting point', which in this machine is in the centerof its front, there is a vertically-arranged guide-slot f in the front edge of the shelf f, down through Which the pin e on the punch may play Where the proper punch is brought to this point in the operation of the machine. In the detail view, Fig. 8, a part of the shelf f is represented in plan and in front elevation in order to show the form of the guide-slot f therein. The upper end of said slot is iiared a little, as shown, so that if the operator fails to bring the pin e' exactly over the slot the flared or beveled entrance to the latter will serve to automatically guide the punch to its true position. In the inner wall of the carrier d are formed slots d (seen in Fig. 2) to receive the pins e on the punches and to permit the latter to be depressed to the proper extent only.

g is the curved front plate of the machine,

which is iiXed to and forms a part of the ma-v chine-frame a. Behind and close to this plate g plays the plate d on the face of the carrier d, and in order that the operator may be able to bring the proper punch to the cutting or punching point I mark on the plate cl the numerals or characters to be punched by the machine, said numerals or characters being arranged in :a horizontal roW and each opposite to the particular punch that has that character cut or formed on`its cutting end. These I call designatingcharacters. In the front plate g, I form an aperture g opposite said roW of numerals or characters on plat-e CZ and at the center of the front of the machine, as seen in Fig. 4, through which the numeral or character to be punched may be' seen.

I will noW describe the mechanism whereby the punch is selected, depressed` and elevated, premising that, as in other machines of this class, only one selecting and depressing lever is employed.

7L is the selecting and depressing le ver, which is hinged at one end in the upper part of the sleeve c, and provided With ahandle or button at its free end for convenience of manipulation. By swinging this lever from side to side the punches and dies connected with it are moved laterally and the proper punch selected and brought to the cutting-point. The lever z has a short branch or part h', on the end ofwhich is formed a knob h. The top plate or cover c of the machine has formed This shelf is substantially' on it a pendent sleeve-like bearing ct", arranged in front of the post b, and in this bearing is mounted a slide-bar z', which has a crown-piece t". In the rear face of this crown-piece is akeeper-groove, in which plays the knob h on the branch of lever h. The knob h always remains in engagement With said groove no matter what may be the posisition of the selecting-lever h, and When the latter lever is depressed or elevated the slidebar t' moves With it-up or down, as the case may be.

In order to communicate the movements of the lever h to the particular punch e that is to be used, an intermediate lever or part j is employed. This lever is hinged to the machine-frame at y, or at some other convenient point, and its free end j is arranged to e11- gage a notch 11 (seen in Fig. 6?) in the bar z', and to also engage a notch e" in the inner or rear face of the punch e, that happens to stand at the cutting or punching point. Each of the punches e has a notch 6', and Whenever a punch is brought to the punchingpoint the notch therein will be caused to engage the end j of the lever j. Under the lever j is a strong spring k, which serves to retract the punch, and with it the lever h and slide-bar t'.

The operation of the mechanism described is simple: The operator seizes the button on the free end of the selecting-'lever 7L and swings said lever to the right or left until the numeral or character he Wishes to punch appears at the aperture g. He then depresses said lever, When the branch lever h', acting through the slide-bar z', depresses lever j. This lever acts onthe punch at the punching point and depresses it. IVhen the pressure is relieved, the spring k retracts all the parts.

The end j of thelever or movable part j Where it engages the notch in the punch eis broad enough to bridge over the guide-slotf, whereby, When the punch-carrier is moved from side to side, each punch in succession is carried over said slot f', riding on the end of lever j When it passes the cutting-point. The intermediate part j connects the slide-bar i with the punches, and so long as it is capable of movement up and down it may be mounted in any convenient manner.

I am enabled by my construction to dispense with the numerous springs for retracting the punches and other movable parts such as are found in other machines of this character. The lever j raises and upholds the punch When the pressure has been removed, and all the idle punches are upheld by the shelf f, as before described.

The check or other thing to be punched is fed or moved along under the punches a measured distance during the upward movement of the selecting and depressing lever h by a suitable feed. I will describe t-he form of feeder illustrated herein, which is that preferred.

Zis a pressureplate, which is preferably conlOO IIO

structedintegrally with the front-plate g. This pressure-plate extends out to vthe front over.

the'table m of the machine and is raised a little way above the latter to allow of the insertion of the` check under the punches. The inner or rearward extension of the plate Z forms the stripper Z for stripping the' paper from the punches when the latter rise. A

fragment of the plate Z, showing, also, the

stripper Z and a part of the front plate g, is represented in plan in Fig. '7. I employ no adjustable guide for the check. A The straight front edge of plate Z will yserve to align the check on iirst insertin git in the machine, and an aperture at n in the front plate gin front of the punch that is being operated enables the operator to see the punch at work.

I will now describe the feeder for the check with especial reference to Figs. 3, 5,and 5,

0 is an elbow-lever pi voted on the machineframe. One arm of said lever'has afork o', with which engages a lug p on a branch j of the intermediate lever j. On the downwardlyprojecting arm of lever o is hung a hookpawl q, which may be a gravity-pawl, and which engages the teeth on a ratchet-wheel o'. This wheel is fixed on the rear end of a shaft s, which extends from the rear to the front of the machine. On the front `end 4of this` shaft is fixed the feedwheel t, which projects up through a slot in the table fm and bears on the smooth lower face of the pres.

ure-plate Z. Vibration of the lever j irnparts vintermittent rotary impulses to the feed-wheel through the medium of the pawl` and ratchet. The feedingof thecheck is effected by the upward or retracting movement of the lever j, and the fork o inj the end of the arm of elbow-lever o is'madewide enough to permit said lever j to withdraw the punch from the cheek before the latter is fed along.

u is a guide-wheel, which f tracks with the feed-wheel t, and, like the latter, it projects up through the table m and bears on theplate Z. y

fu is a yoke, which is mounted ona strong spring or springs w. The shaft shasa somewhat loose bearing in this yoke, and the wheel u is mounted rotatively on the yoke. The springs w, acting through the'yoke, thus keep the wheels t and u pressed. strongly upward against the plate Z.

In order that the wheels t and u, may be conveniently depressed for the insertion of the check, I provide the following-described device.

o is a button or knob, which appears above the top of the machine, and which is on the upper end of a rod fu, which extends down into the machine and is coupled to the end of a lever to', which is pivoted at a point near the front of theV machine. This lever bears on a lug which projects from a rocking frame fr, pivoted at one side cna rod or bar y. At its free side or edge this frame rests at two points z on lugs on the yoke c. Down-` `keep it straight as it is fed along.

.knob o acts through lever w', frame mi', and

yoke u to equally depress `the wheels and n.' The wheel 'u serves to guide `the check' and The frame of the machine isymade up; of sections or parts, and these are held together by suitable screws. This construction willbe readily understood from an inspection of the drawings. Z

To prevent oil that may be used on the slide-bar c' from dripping into the machine, I provide the web of the carrier CZ with an oilreceiving tray d4, which plays under the end of said bar 1l, as best seen in Figs. land 2.

The numerals and characters to be cutby the punches will be arranged in some convenient sequence, and in order to guide theinexperienced operator in moving the selecting- W brought over 8, for example, on the strip,

las represented in the drawings, the punch for. nu meralS will be brought to the cu tting-point.

The lever h will beset, by preference, to stand over the center of the series of punches; but this arrangement is not essential to ,the operation of the machine. Y

The crown-piece if will, by preference, be curved concentrically with the axis of post` ZJ, andthe top plate aff of the machine will. be constructed to extend up in front of said crown-piece so as to screen it.

Having thus described. my invention, I claim-- l. The combination of 4a .punch-carrier and selecting-lever connected together, the notched dies in the carrier, a notched slidebar provided with a grooved crown-piece, the groove in which is engaged by a branch on the selecting-lever, and aninterniediate lever or part engaging the notch in said slide-bar, and also the notch in the punch at the cutting IOO IIO

or punching point, substantiallyv as set forth.

2. The combination, with a punch-carrier,

of the notched punches therein, each provided with a supporting-pin, aixed punch-supporting shelf on which said pins rest, said shelf having a guide-slot for said pins arranged at the punching or cutting point, anintermediate leveror part which engages the notchin the punch that stands at the punching-point, I

and a retractingspring under said intermediate part or lever, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the` selecting-1e` ver, the punch-carrier, andthe die-platform,

all connected and adapted to move together, of the notched punches carried by said carrier f i. and each provided with a supporting-pin, the.,`

lever or part the end of which engages the f notch in said bar and also the notch in the punch at the punching-point, the retrzteting- Spring under said lever, and the dies, a branch on the selecting-lever engaging the groove in the crown-piece of said slide-bar, and all op,

erating substantially as set forth.

4. In t check-punch, the feeding mechanism consisting of the yoke fu and its springs 1U, he guide-Wheel u, mounted on said. yoke, the feed-Wheel t, its shaft s, which has a bea-ring in said yoke, the ratchet-Wheel?" on shaft s, the elbow-lever o, the pawl q thereon, engagn g said ratChebWheel, and the lever operfitnessesz HENRY CONNETT, J. D. CAPLINGER. 

